«Sora is closing: the first independent project of OpenAI is coming to an end»
25 march 2026 в 21:13
The Sora app, OpenAI’s first standalone application after ChatGPT, is shutting down less than a year after its launch. This event coincided with Disney’s decision to withdraw its $ 1 billion investment from the program, noting that the field of artificial intelligence is still in its early stages of development.
Here’s what we know about the closure of Sora and the reasons the team decided to end the project.
As previously mentioned, the Sora team announced the closure on March 24, 2026, via X.com.
«We say 'goodbye' to Sora», - the team wrote in a tweet that day. «To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built a community around it: thank you. What you did with Sora mattered, and we understand that this news is disappointing».
The statement also said: «We will soon share additional information, including timelines for the app and API, as well as details on preserving your works. — The Sora Team».
Sora was a video creation app using generative AI that allowed users to insert themselves into videos as characters.
«Turn your ideas into videos with hyper-realistic motion and sound», - the soon-to-be-closed app is described on the OpenAI Sora page. «Play yourself and your friends in videos as characters».
The program caused panic in Hollywood and among creative individuals due to its model, which did not require intellectual property owners to specify whether they wanted their copyrighted works to be excluded. Videos created with the app looked astonishingly realistic, which delighted users but raised concerns among artists.
The Sora team did not explain the reasons for the closure, but Disney released a statement regarding the shutdown and promised to «continue engaging with AI platforms» in the future.
«As the field of AI rapidly evolves, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and shift its priorities», - a Disney representative told Variety. «We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are, while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect intellectual property and creators' rights».
Previously, Disney and other entertainment companies had accused generative AI platforms of copyright infringement. Disney sent cease-and-desist letters to Google, Meta, and Character. AI, and filed lawsuits against Midjourney and Minimax, accusing them of copyright violations.
Google removed AI-generated videos related to the intellectual property identified by Disney
Here’s what we know about the closure of Sora and the reasons the team decided to end the project.
As previously mentioned, the Sora team announced the closure on March 24, 2026, via X.com.
«We say 'goodbye' to Sora», - the team wrote in a tweet that day. «To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built a community around it: thank you. What you did with Sora mattered, and we understand that this news is disappointing».
The statement also said: «We will soon share additional information, including timelines for the app and API, as well as details on preserving your works. — The Sora Team».
Sora was a video creation app using generative AI that allowed users to insert themselves into videos as characters.
«Turn your ideas into videos with hyper-realistic motion and sound», - the soon-to-be-closed app is described on the OpenAI Sora page. «Play yourself and your friends in videos as characters».
The program caused panic in Hollywood and among creative individuals due to its model, which did not require intellectual property owners to specify whether they wanted their copyrighted works to be excluded. Videos created with the app looked astonishingly realistic, which delighted users but raised concerns among artists.
The Sora team did not explain the reasons for the closure, but Disney released a statement regarding the shutdown and promised to «continue engaging with AI platforms» in the future.
«As the field of AI rapidly evolves, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and shift its priorities», - a Disney representative told Variety. «We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are, while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect intellectual property and creators' rights».
Previously, Disney and other entertainment companies had accused generative AI platforms of copyright infringement. Disney sent cease-and-desist letters to Google, Meta, and Character. AI, and filed lawsuits against Midjourney and Minimax, accusing them of copyright violations.
Google removed AI-generated videos related to the intellectual property identified by Disney
© Puhova Marina
